$35,000 Non-Pro Any Age Goes To Desmond Robbins

Nurse Charles and Desmond Robbins • Hart PhotosA relative newcomer to cutting, Desmond Robbins still has a hard time with the competitive aspect of the sport. Of course he wants to win every time he goes out. Then again, he doesn’t like watching his friends lose. Monday night, he walked out of the James Brown Arena at the Augusta Futurity, in Augusta, Ga., dealing with the paradox.

Robbins claimed his first major title when he and Nurse Charles rung up a score of 217 to win the $35,000 Non-Pro Any Age by 2.5 points. With his first Augusta Futurity title, Robbins of Goldsboro, N.C. earned $2,600.

John Edge and Jazzy Dual Rey finished second at 214.5 for $2,104, while Mark Senn and Stand Out Cat placed third (213, $1,800). Katherine Queen, the 9-year-old daughter of Skip and Elizabeth Queen, finished fourth aboard Remember Me Stylish with 211 ($1,600).

“It’s really unreal,” Robbins said. “The people you compete against are really pulling for you. … They have done nothing but encourage me and help me and give me pointers. It’s just a big family. You’re glad to win, but you hate to see your friends lose. And that’s true.”

The 60-year-old Robbins, who owns a commercial glass business, has been married to Yvonne for 36 years and the couple has an adult son, Nicholas. He started cutting five years ago, making his third competitive trek to Augusta.

“This was just one of these things I always wanted to do,” Robbins said. “I finally got the opportunity when I caught up with some stuff. I decided this was my last shot.”

Robbins purchased Nurse Charles, a 2001 sorrel gelding by Kit Dual out of High Brows Nurse. Nurse Charles is kept at Johnson Performance Horses in Hartsville, S.C., about 2½ hours away from the Robbins home.

“He’s part of the family,” Robbins said. “He’s kind of spoiled. We miss him when he’s off in training.”

In the $35,000 Non-Pro finals, Robbins had to scrap his original gameplan. Throwing together an impromptu strategy that worked.

“We went in there and had a couple of cows we wanted to cut,” Robbins said. “They just didn’t get in the right position. So we just picked out what we could get cut and make work.”